British scientists have created a so-called intelligent knife that lets surgeons know right away if tissue is cancerous or benign. The implications are huge for cancer surgery, where the objective is removing all the disease but sparing as much tissue as possible.
Researchers at the Imperial College London published findings from their study of the device known as the iKnife in the journalScience Translational Medicine, according to ScienceDaily. The device diagnosed with 100 percent accuracy samples of tissue taken from 91 patients in the first study done in the operating room.
The technology of the iKnife is based on electrosurgery, which is commonly used today and which dates from the 1920s. The electric current in electrosurgical knives quickly heats tissue so that a physician can cut through it with the least amount of blood loss.
When surgeons are uncertain as to whether tissue is malignant, traditionally they must send a sample to pathology and wait 30 minutes or longer for a lab response, the Los Angeles Times says. However, use of an iKnife would tell a surgeon almost immediately the status of the tissue and allow the physician to quickly make the best decision about how to complete the operation.
Inventor Dr. Zoltan Takats realized a potential signature that occurs in the smoke created after an electrosurgical knife vaporizes tissue. He connected such a knife to a mass spectrometer, a device that identifies which chemicals are present in a smoke sample. The profile of chemicals in the sample provides a wealth of information about the nature of the tissue.
Researchers initially used the iKnife on samples from 302 surgical patients, including tissue from the lung, breast, brain, colon, liver, and stomach, to create a reference library. The new device works by matching readings during surgery to information in the library. Results appear in less than three seconds.
Scientists expect the iKnife to be particularly useful in diagnosing solid tumors, such as those found in breast cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, as many as 25 percent of women who have breast-conserving surgery to treat cancer need to return for more surgery. Healthcare experts have for years questioned whether many of these repeat surgeries are necessary. A device such as the iKnife could provide valuable information for women facing the prospect of multiple breast cancer surgeries.
Although the UK research focused on use of the iKnife to identify cancer, the device can give doctors a lot of information on other conditions. For example, it can discern which types of bacteria reside in a patient’s tissue or whether tissue has an adequate blood supply. Yahoo
Vonda J. Sines has published thousands of print and online health and medical articles. She specializes in diseases and other conditions that affect the quality of life.
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 |  |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |
